Andrea Jo ‘Andi’ McCann Franklin
August 11, 1989 – March 7, 2025
Bourbonnais, Illinois
Andrea Jo Franklin, 35, of Bourbonnais, IL, went home to be with Jesus on March 7, 2025, following unexpected postpartum complications. She was born on August 11, 1989, in Watseka, IL. A beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, Andrea made everyone she came in contact with feel special.
Andi graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with her bachelor’s degree in 2010 and Lasell University with her master’s in 2013. Later, she returned as a professor in the communication department at Olivet. She loved investing in her students, not just as a teacher, but as a mentor and encourager. Her heart for service extended beyond the classroom she worked for many years in hospice care, offering comfort and presence in life’s hardest moments. She also served with Administer Justice, helping provide legal care to those in need within local communities. Andi’s life was filled with constant giving of her time, her talents, and her heart.
Andi lived with a heart wide open. She loved fiercely, laughed easily, and encouraged others with a sincerity that left an imprint on everyone she met. She was often described as compassionate, determined, and deeply faithful, not just in words but in the way she walked through life meeting people where they were and lifting them up. She touched more lives than we will ever know, and to be loved by Andi was to be truly seen.
Above all else, Andi loved being a mom. Her greatest joy was found in nurturing her children, filling their world with creativity, warmth, and stories. A captivating storyteller, she had a way of drawing people in, whether through the pages of a book, the lens of her camera, or the way she painted moments with words. She was an artist at heart, finding beauty in the everyday through watercolor painting and photography. She turned her love for capturing moments into a photography business, preserving memories not just for her own family, but for so many others.
Andi could always be seen with a Polar Pop or McDonald’s Coke in hand, a small but perfect reflection of her easygoing spirit. She had a way of making people feel at home, whether through deep conversations, infectious laughter, or the simple joy of sharing a meal. She will be remembered not only for what she did but for who she was a light in the lives of so many. Though our hearts are shattered, we do not mourn without hope. We trust that Andi is in the presence of Jesus, and we will carry her love forward, honoring her legacy in the way we live, love, and serve others.
Andi was preceded in death by her grandparents Andrew Hassen, Gloria Hassen, and Everett Knake. She is survived by her loving husband, Luke; their five beautiful children, Gabriel, Eliana, Graham, Victor, and Josie; her parents, Thomas and Judy McCann; her siblings, Kelly (Brett) Hull, Wade (Meagan) McCann, and Emily (Caleb) Parker; her niece and nephew, Audra and Nolan; her grandmother, Dorothy Knake. She also leaves behind a host of extended family members, in-laws, numerous nieces and nephews, dear friends, and students whose lives she touched.
Source: Daily-Journal Obituaries